Typewriting machine



Feb. 9., 1943. Q SUNDSTRAND 2,310,717

TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Dec. 31; 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR OSCARJ. .S'UNDSTRAND ATTO Feb. 9, 1943- o. J. sUNDsTRAND v2 ,310,71'17 TYPEWRITING MACHINEy j Filed Dec. 3l, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'AUB /Jz ma MW; l ,f 7

Patented Feb. 9, 1943 UNITED STATS TENT OFFICE TYPEWRITING MACHINE Application December 31, 1940, Serial No. 372,633

7 Claims.

This invention relates to typewriting machines of the class in which the type bars are driven by power under control of the usual keys and more particularly to a repeat mechanism for causing the repeated operation of a type bar upon holding the corresponding key depressed.

The invention is illustrated and described as embodied in a machine having a type bar operating mechanism of the character shown and -described in applicants co-pending application Serial No. 114,416, filed December 5, 1936, upon which Patent No. 2,239,023 dated April 22, 1941 has been granted, and is particularly adapted for use in connection with such a type bar operating mechanism.

Certain objects of the present invention are to produce a novel repeat device for power operated type bar mechanisms and to provide such mechanisms with an improved repeat device which is simple in construction reliable in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide power operated type bar mechanisms with an improved repeat device which may be quickly and easily rendered operative or inoperative at the :if

will of the operator by simple adjustments of the device. l

With the above objects in View, the invention consists in a power operated type bar mechanism having a repeat device embodying the novel and improved features hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention will be clearly understood from the accompanying drawings illustrating a construction embodying the invention in its preferred form and the following detailed description of the constructions therein shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a View in vertical section taken through the type head or carriage of a machine embodying the invention and illustrating the type bar actuating mechanism and repeat device, with the parts in their normal or inactive positions, and a portion of the platen,

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 show the type bar actuating mechanism and repeat device at diierent points in the operation of the same with the corresponding key depressed.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating a portion of the mechanism shown in said ligure with the parts in the positions which they assume when the type bar actuating mechanism is adjacent the end of its downward movement,

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating the parts of the type bar actuating mechanism in and certain and the positions which they assume as said mechanism begins its upward movement.

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Figs. 2 and 3, illustrating a portion of the construction shown in said gures with the parts of the type bar actuating mechanism in the positions which they assume substantially at the end of the upward movement of said mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a detail plan view illustrating the repeat device and certain associated parts of the type bar actuating mechanism with the parts substantially in the positions shown in Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a detail View in front elevation illustrating a detent plate for holding the repeat slide in adjusted position. Y

The invention is illustrated in thisapplication as embodied in a typewriting machine of the Elliott Fisher type having a platen frame, a substantially at platen mounted for vertical Inovement in said frame, a line space frame supported on the platen frame and movable forwardly and rearwardly on the side rails of said frame to line space and a type head or carriage mounted on the line space frame for movement in line spacing direction and return. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to this particular type of machine, but that the invention may be embodied with advantage in other machines.

The type bar mechanism of the machine illustrated, except for the repeatdevice, and the other mechanisms of the machine, have substantially the same construction, arrangement and mode of operation as the corresponding mechanisms of the machine illustrated and described in applicants patent referred to above.

In the illustrated construction, the machine comprises a substantially iiat platen 2 and a type carriage or head indicated at 4, movable over the platen in letter spacing and return directions.

The present machine is provided with a series of type bars 6 each pivoted at 8 to a hanger Ill secured to the semi-circular type bar ring l2 suspended below the deck I l of the carriage. The

type bars are respectively Yacted upon by coil springs I S which operate to retract the bars and tend to retain them in their normal positions in engagement with a semi-circular buffer ring I8.

The tail of each of the type bars is connected by a link 20 with an elbow lever 22 pivoted at 24 upon a hanger 26 depending from the deck I4. Each elbow lever is connected by a link 28 with the forward end of a sub-lever 30 pivoted at 32 upon a support 34 secured to the upper face of the deck I4. The rear lend of the sub-lever l30 2 is connected by\a link or push rod 36 with a horizontally arranged intermediate lever 38 journaled on a fulcrum bar 40 extending across the rear of the key carriage. Each of the intermediate levers 38 is acted upon by a coil spring 42 which assists the retracting spring I6 in yieldingly holding the parts of the mechanism in the normal positions shown in Fig. 1.

The forward ends of the intermediate levers 38 project through slots 44 in the front wall of the type carriage casing and the upper edges of the ends of the levers are arranged to engage a cushion bar 46 mounted in a channel 48.

In the present machine, power driven mechanisms are provided respectively for swinging the intermediate levers 38 in a downward direction about the fulcrum bar 48 to actuate the type bars. Each of these mechanisms comprises a longitudinally movable transmitting link 56 pivotally connected to the intermediate lever 38 by means of a stud 52 and held in place by a spring clip 54. The transmitting link is pivoted at 58 to a radius arm or lever 58 which is journaled on a rod 68 seated in a longitudinal slot in a bed 62 secured to the cover plate 64 of the type carriage. Said mechanism also comprises a longitudinally movable driving link 66, the lower or advance end of which is pivoted at 68 to the radius arm 58. A pawl 10 is pivoted at '|2 to the driving link and is provided with two teeth arranged to engage the teeth Yof a continuously rotating toothed or iiuted shaft 14 mounted in bearings in the type carriage. The lower end ofthe driving link is acted upon by a coil spring 16 which tends to swing the link is a clockwise direction about the pivot 68 and to maintain normally the link substantially in the position shown in Fig. 3 with the pawl 18 in engagement with a fixed inclined arresting plate 'i8 extending across the type carriage, in which position the pawl is disengaged from the toothed shaft. In order to engage the pawl with the shaft, the driving link 66 is swung to the left (Fig. 1) about the pivot V|58. This movement of the link brings the lower tooth of the pawl first into position to be engaged by the toothed shaft. The engagement of one of the teeth on the shaft with the lower tooth of the pawl, swings the pawl about its pivot until the movement of the pawl is limited by the engagement of a lateral projection 80 on the pawl with the body of the link. This movement of the pawl swings the upper tooth thereof into position to be engaged by the succeeding tooth on the toothed shaft and the driving link 66 is then driven in a downward direction to actuate the transmitting link 50 and the intermediate lever 38 downwardly.

The driving links are swung to the left to engage the respective pawls carried thereby with the toothed shaft by mechanisms actuated by the several keys of the keyboard. Each of these mechanisms comprises a drag link 82 pivotally connected at its left hand end (Fig. 1) with an upwardly extending arm 84 of the key lever 86 and having a shoulder 88 adjacent its right hand end arranged to engagea pin 96 mounted on the driving link 66. The left hand end of the drag link is connected with the upwardly extending arm of the key lever 86 by means of a stud 94 mounted on the link and engaging in a slot 96 in said arm of the key lever and a coil spring S8 which normally holds the stud 94 in the left hand end of the slot. Each of the key levers 86 is pivoted on a shaft |80 common to the keys of all the banks and is provided with a forwardly extending arm on which end of the upwardly extending arm of cach of the key levers, extends through a guide slot |84 formed in a guide plate |06 secured to the upper portion of the frame of the type carriage and the movement cf the key lever is limited by the engagement of said arm with the ends of the guide slot. Each of the key levers is acted upon by a coil spring |88 which normally maintains the upwardly extending arm thereof in engagement with the rear end of the guide slot.

With this construction, upon the depression of the key |02 of the key lever, the upwardly extending arm thereof will be swung forwardly or to the left (Fig. l) to engage the pawl 15 with the toothed shaft 14. In the event that the movement of the link 66 is limited before said arm of the key lever reaches the forward end of the guide slot |64, the spring 98 will yield to allow the movement of the key lever to continue to its limiting position.

When the key is depressed to actuate the key lever to swing the driving link to the left to engage the pawl with the toothed shaft, the movement of the driving link is limited by the engagement of the pawl with said shaft. As the driving link is carried downwardly by the rotary movement of the shaft, the link is swung to the left, during the latter part of its movement, by the engagement of the pawl contacting tooth of the shaft with the upper tooth of the pawl, the movement of said tooth of the shaft then having a substantial component toward the left. (Fig. l). In order to limit this swinging movement of the driving link and cause the disengagement of the pawl from the tooth of the shaft at the desired time in the actuation of the type bar mechanism, a series of downwardly turned stop arms H6 are formed on the guide plate |06 and are arranged to be engaged respectively by the upper or rear free ends of the driving links to limit the swinging movement thereof as shown in Fig 2.

Upon the engagement of the upper end of a driving link with the corresponding stop arm H6, further swinging movement of the driving link 66 to the left about its pivot 68 is stopped and the tooth on the uted shaft is carried out of engagement with the upper tooth of the pawl by the rotary movement of the shaft. The coil spring 16 then swings the driving link about the pivot 68 to the right (Fig. l), thereby engaging the pawl with the arresting plate 18 and the driving link, with the transmitting link and the intermediate lever of the type bar actuating mechanism are moved back upwardly normally to the position shown in Fig. 1 by the action of the coil springs 42 and I6 and the coil spring I6.

The repeat mechanism comprises a link or slide ||2 movably attached, by means of a screw ||4 engaging in a slot H6 in the slide, to the upper face of the guide plate |86. The slide is extended rearwardly beyond the contact arm IE) engaged by the driving link 66 and is formed with an offset portion having aslot H8 in'which the up per end of the driving link engages.

The slot ||6 in the repeat slide enables the slide to be moved longitudinally forwardly and rearwardly into and out of acting position. The slide normally occupies the rearward position shown in Fig. l and in this position the driving link does not engage the slide during the upward movement of the link. To throw the slide into operation, the slide is moved forwardly substantially to the position shown in Figs. 2 to 5, in-

is fixed a key |82. The

elusive, The slide is moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, by the movement of the key lever 86 produced by the depression of the key |02. To this end, the slide is formed with a notch or slot |20 in which engages the upwardly extending arm 84 of the key lever. Thus when the key lever is actuated by the depression of the key, the repeat slide is moved forwardly from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, and is held in thelatter position as long as the key is held depressed With the repeat slide in the position shown in Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, upon the upward movement of the driving link 66, following an actuation of the type bar, the inclined or cam face |22 on the upper or rear end of the driving link engages the transverse portion 24 on the repeat slide as shown in Fig. 3. During the continued upward movement of the driving link, with the key held depressed, by the coaction of the cam face |22 with the transverse portion |24 of the repeat slide, the driving link is swung laterally about the pivot 68 to the left from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 4. This movement of the driving link carries the pawl 10 into position to place the lower tooth of the pawl in the path of one of the teeth of the iiuted shaft 14, and the shaft then acts on the pawl and the driving link in the same manner as in the normal key controlled operation above described. By the coaction of the uted shaft with the pawl, the driving link is driven downwardly to repeat the operation of the type bar. The operation of the type bar will be repeated as long as the key is held depressed. Upon the release of the key, the restoration of the key lever to its normal position by the action of the spring |08 will move the repeat slide back to its normal rearward position shown in Fig. 1.

In certain cases it may be desirable to render the repeat mechanism inactive so that the type bar is given a single actuation upon the depression of the key even though the key may be thereafter held depressed. The mounting of the repeat slide 2 upon the screw 4 enables the slide to be swung about the screw in a substantially horizontal plane. The slide is extended forwardly beyond the guide plate |06 to form an arm |25 provided with a handle |26 to be grasped by the operator, In order to render the repeat slide ||2 inoperative, the arm |25 is manipulated by the operator to swing the said slide in a counterclockwise direction, Fig. 5, to disengage the upper end of the arm 84 of the key lever from the notch |20 in the slide. With the repeat slide thus positioned, the slide is not moved forwardly upon the depression of the key and, if the key is held depressed, the driving link is not engaged by the transverse portion |24 of the slide upon the upward movement of the driving link following the type bar actuating operation caused by the initial depression of the key so that the actuation of the type bar is not repeated.

In order to hold the repeat link or slide either in the operative angular position shown in Fig. 5 or in a position with the upper end of the arm 84 disengaged from the notch |20 in the slide, a detent plate |28 is secured to the forward face of the guide plate |06 and is formed with notches |30 and |32 to receive the arm |25 on the slide. The repeat slide is preferably made of yielding spring material to enable the arm |25 to be lifted tov disengage the same from either ofthe notches. When the slide is in the angular Vposition shown in Fig. 5, the arm |25 is engaged in the notch |32 to hold the slide in an operative angular position. When the slide is to be rendered inoperative, the arm is raised slightly to disengage the same from .the notch |32 and the slide is then swung in a counter-clockwise direction (Fig. 5) until it registers with the notch |30 and is then released, the spring of the metal of the slide allowing this vertical movement of the arm |25. Upon the release of the handle |26, the arm |25 will spring down into the notch |30 to hold the slide in position. When the arm |25 of the slide is engaged in the notch |30,'the upper portion of the arm 84 of the key lever is disengaged from the notch |20 to render the slide inoperative. l

It is to be understood that the terms free, "rear and tail, applied to one end of the driving thrust llink, refer to the end of said link remote from its connection with the radius arm 58 which end occupies the rear or tail position during the downward 0r advance movement of the link to impart downward movement to the intermediate lever 38 to actuate the type bar.

It is to be understood that, except as defined in the claims, the invention is not limited to the particular construction shown and described in this application, but that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the claims.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention and having specifically described the construction embodying the invention in its preferred form, what is claimed is:

1. A typewriting machine comprising a rotary toothed driving member, a longitudinally upwardly and downwardly movable driving thrust link, a pawl carried by said driving' link for engaging said rotary toothed member, a type bar, a connection between the driving link and the type bar for actuating the type bar, a key lever having a key movable from normal to depressed position and an upwardly extending arm, a drag link connected with said arm to move the driving link laterally to engage the pawl with the rotary member, a repeat device for engaging the rear'end of the driving link upon the return movement of the link to move the driving link laterally to engage the pawl with the rotary member and a connection :between the repeat device and the upwardly extending arm of the key lever for moving the repeat device into and out of position to be engaged by the driving link respectively upon depression and release of said key.

2. .A typewriting machine comprising power means, a power driven actuator, a type bar, a `connection between the actuator and the type bar for actuating the type bar, a key lever having a key movable from normal to depressed position, mechanism controlled by the key lever for connecting the actuator with the power means to actuate the type bar, a repeat device operating automatically during return movement of the actuator to connect the actuator with the power means, a connection between the key lever and said device for moving said device into and out of operative position with relation to the actuator respectively upon depression and release of said key and means for supporting said device for sliding movement into and out of position to operate the actuator and for piv- 4 otal movement into and out of position to be operated by the key lever. Y

3. A typewriting machine comprising `a rotary toothed driving member, a longitudinally movable driving thrust link, a projection carried by said driving link and arranged to 4engage said toothed member, a type bar, a connection between the driving link and Vthe type bar foractuating the type bar, a key lever having akey and movable manually from normal vto actuated f position, a repeat device for engaging the rear end of the driving link upon the return 'movement of the said link to move the link laterally to carry the projection thereon into engagement with the rotary between the key lever and said device for moving said device into and out of operative position respectively upon manual actuation and release of said key lever. v f

4. A typewriting machine comprising a rotary toothed driving member, a longitudinally movable driving thrust link, a projection carried by said driving link and arranged to engage .said toothed member, a type bar, a connection between the driving link and the type bar for .ac-

tuating the type bar, a key lever having a key and movable manually from normal to actuated position, a longitudinally movable repeat link for engaging the tail end of the driving link upon the return movement of the driving link to move the driving link laterally to carry the projection thereon into engagement with the rotary member and a connection between the key lever and said repeat link for moving the repeat link longitudinally into and out of operative position with relation to the driving link respectively upon the manual actuation and release of said key lever.

5. A 'typewriting machine comprising a rrotary toothed driving member, a longitudinally movable driving thrust link, a projection carried by said driving link and arranged to'engage said toothed member, 'a type bar, a connection between the driving link and the type bar for vactuating the type bar, a key lever manually from normal to actuated position, a repeat device slidably mounted/for movement into and out of operative position for engaging the free rear end of the driving link uponthe member and a connection 1 having a key Vand movable of said link to move the link the projection thereon into enreturn movement laterally to carry `gagement with the driving member and a connection between the key lever and said device for sliding the repeat device respectively into and out of operative position with relation to the driving link upon manual actuation and release of said key lever.

6. A typewriting machine comprising a rotary toothed driving member, a longitudinally movable ydriving thrust link, a projection carried by said driving link and arranged to engage said toothed member, a type bar, a connection between the driving link and the type bar for actuating the type bar, a key lever having a key y and movable manually from normal to actuated position, a repeat device or engaging the rear end of the driving link upon the return movement of the link, a cam face on the driving link arranged to engage said repeat device during the retractive movement of said link to move the link laterally to carry the projection into engagement with the rotary member and a connection between the key lever and said repeat device for moving said device respectively into and out of position to be engaged by the cam face on the driving link upon the manual actuation and release of said key lever.

7. A typewriting machine comprising power means, a power driven actuator, a type bar, a connection between the actuator and the type bar for actuating the type bar, a key lever hav ing a key movable from normal to depressed position, mechanism controlled by the key lever for connecting the actuator with the power means to actuate the type bar, a repeat device arranged to operate automatically during the return movement oi the actuator to connect the actuator with the power means, means for supporting said device for sliding movement into and out of position to operate the actuator and for pivotal adjustment into and out of position to be operated by the key lever and a connection between said device and the key lever for sliding said device into and out of operative position with relation to the actuator respectively upon depression and release of the key.

OSCAR J. SUNDSTRAND. 

